The Tiger's cub
by darkdragonemperess
Summary: Our eyes deceive us. Tricked to believe only black and white exist, it ignores not only the gray, but also the feint lines that separate darkness and light.
1. Prophesy

_In the coming days, long after our societies bones are dust, the stars shall face desolation. It shall come at the hands of a power so great and terrifying, destruction will seem assured. The monster shall take worlds. That which do not bend shall be broken. It will crave complete power, evil in its purest, darkest form. It will be known by black stain over its heart.. The only hope for salvation shall not come from a warrior of light. It will too will be from the shadow. Not a monster, simply a beast that wears the skin of man. Only this beast can destroy the destroyer. But he will not fulfill this destiny for the worlds. The protecting of countless will matter not. He will battle the monster not for the billions, but for one. She will be a beast whisperer, not quite human herself. And while he and the monster reside in the shadows, she shall walk the line between. Should she die, or they not meet, the monster shall be victorious. The fate of all that will be hinges on the intertwining destinies of beast and shadow walker._

_ Shimya Oracle of Tennuis, 10 cycle of Irisis Moon (Earth 5000 BC)_


	2. Prologue

Hi gang. Its the dragon emperess again. This is my second fic. Its kind of like my first. Same pairing. However, the set up of the story, the story itself, and even the characters will have differences. I hope you enjoy. :)

Mel jumped away from the kick.  
"Getting slow in your old age?" She taunted playfully.  
"Slow am I?" Mori answered. Before she could respond he had grabbed her wrist and forced her to the mat. The roughness surprised her. She gasped when she felt his hand under her shirt. The transition surprised her. Before she could say a word his lips were pressing against hers. The kiss was surprisingly rough. He touched her lips with his tongue, demanding entrance. He slipped his hand out of her shirt only to place it on the crotch of her jean shorts. She whimpered as he rubbed her through the thick material. He moved the hand up to unbotten and unzip her shorts.

Mori smiled devilishly. This was going to be fun. He loved how sexy she got when she was embarrassed.

"How about we play Big Bad Wolf?" He whispered into her ear. Mel shook her head. She hated that game. Having to respond to what he said was bad enough, but the things she would have to say made it worse. He slipped his hand under her shorts and began to rub her.

"Aw come on, we haven't played it in awhile." Mel bite back a moan as she shook her head. Mori removed his hand and pushed himeself up to a kneeling position. Mel whimpered at the loss.

"Alright then, I guess we don't play today." He sighed.

"Ok. Ok." Mel pleaded. Her cheeks were already red from imagining what she had to say. She was so cute when embarresed. Mori pushed her shirt up. Mel lifted her shoulders and allowed him to remove it. He pushed his hands under her and unhooked her bra, then quickly removed it. He smiled wolfishly.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "My, what large breasts you have." His finger slowly traced along the edges of her breasts. She wimpered at the contact.

"The...The better to tease you with." she wispered back. Mori kissed her neck gently, then moved lower. He left a trail of kisses until he reached her chest. He sprinkled a few butterfly kisses across her chest, before turning his attention to her nipples. While he sucked eagerly on her right one, his hand kneaded her other one. Mel gasped in excitement. He could smell the delicous scent of her arousal. He slipped off her shorts and panties. He got to his knees and slid his hand down her side.

"My, what soft skin you have." he whispered tracing her side. She shivered from cold and anticipation.

"The better to tempt you with." she moaned. He unzipped his pants. He pulled them and his shorts down to his knees. She grabbed his throbbing cock and stroked it. He shuddered. Her face went red.

"My how big you are." She whispered almost inaudible. He grinned as he positioned himself over her. He let his breath wash over her ear as he rubbed against her. Her juices were already leaking down her thighs.

"The better to fuck you with." he thrust hard. She moaned loudly before his lips crashed down on her mouth, silencing her. He moved in and out, enjoying the sensation. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper. She pulled her head back and moaned. He watched the flush spread across her skin. She wrapped her legs tighter and the heat radiating off of her was almost unbearable. He picked up the pace, panting into her neck. She shifted her hips back, and he could feel himself sink deeper inside her. He thrust, enjoying the new position. He could feel his release building and thrust harder. One more thrust and her legs wrapped so tight he couldn't move. He could feel her contracting around his cock. The heat and pressure made him lose it. He came hard. He rested his forehead on her shoulder. He nuzzled her neck, enjoying how their scents mixed.

"We need to go meet our new house mate." Mel gasped. He smiled at her.

"Not before I get you off again." He began the dance all over again.


	3. The beginning

Hello everyone. I took a long unintentional hiatus. My laptop, which contained all my work, broke. I was hoping to get it back up long enough to upload the next chapter, but unfortunately that didn't work. I rewrote this entire chapter. I apologize if he isn't that good. Anyway, on with the show!

Packerson looked through the window. He observed all that passed in his sight, yet none saw his wondering gaze.

"Is it done?" He asked the young man behind him, scribbling busily on a clipboard. The question made him pause. He shuffled through some papers before he found what he wanted.

"Yes sir. He is being transferred to a civilian craft for transport." The man said as he adjusted his glasses. The older man smiled.

"So what kind of evidence are we going to have to deal with here?" More ruffling was heard behind him.

"We were lucky. Apparently the unit commander went a bit insane and ordered them to destroy a non combatant village. Our guy was the only one with a problem. He took them out when they started firing." Knowing the old man would want more, he continued. "Our information comes from the only survivor of the incident. He had a non fatal gut shot. We were allowed to perform our interview yesterday. The main branch was scheduled to have their own review this afternoon. Unfortunately some charts were mixed up and a nurse accidentally administered a dose of medicine he was highly allergic to. This morning. Our reports are already on the brass's desk. The soldier suffered a delayed stress reaction and butchered his unit unprovoked. "

"Wonderful Linson. You seemed to have pulled out all the stops for this one." Packerson's smile grew.

"Sir. If you don't mind me asking, why was this particular soldier such a concern?"

"Linson, you are a brilliant young man, and I hope you have enough sense to realize we are committing what amounts to treason here." He waited for a confirmation before continuing. "Have you ever heard of the Polyxena?"

The younger man looked up from his notes. The turn of conversation made no sense to him.

"They were a dead society we found on the Irisis moon a few centuries ago."

"I'm impressed. Not many people besides myself seem to remember them anymore."

"I am failing to see how this tangent is relevant sir?"

"Linson, the Polyxena are reminiscent of many of Earth's cultures. They had a belief in many gods, and often had members commit their life to serving certain ones. In the library they discovered several books that contained what you could call prophecies." Sensing the inpatients of his companion, he cut him off. "I assure you these are not the ramblings of a forgetful old fool. I bring them up because a few prophecies dealt explicitly with people attempting to conquer the universe. One of my favorites deals with a monster conquering the stars. The only hope to stop it is a beast in the form of a man."

"General, I apologize but I am confused." He admitted reluctantly. Packerson sighed, annoyed at the interruption.

"Don't worry. I don't believe in any of that nonsense. It was the man beast part that got me. Did you know that I once had a big cats breeding program?" he asked abruptly. Linson looked up from his papers again. He was beginning to worry. He was playing slight of hand with a very unforgiving partner and the man he placed his faith in was rambling about odd topics. As if reading his mind, the general turned towards his young assistant. His stone black eyes seared into Linson's own. The younger man stepped back in fear. He realized his error in questioning.

"Now that I have your attention, may I proceed." He did not wait for an answer. "It was a random thing. Take the wild animals, breed them, then take the offspring into battle. My personal favorite was an aging tiger, Jarmil. He was a vicious animal. Attacked any that dared enter his cage, even those that fed him. Hell he was the only one we had to watch during the breeding period. Had a nasty habit of fighting with the females. Well time wore on and the old boy became complacent. He was aggressive on occasion, but you could mostly go into the enclosure and come out in one piece. During one of the breeding seasons, a tigress accidentally rolled onto one of her cubs. Broke the thing's leg. No one expected it to live much longer, so they tossed it into old Jarmil's cage."

"Sir, I am still confused. What does a tiger killing another one have to do with what we are doing?"

"If you would let me finish you would see the relevance. Jarmil didn't kill the cub, though I couldn't tell you why. This tiny little thing comes limping up to him and starts mewling like she did to her mother, asking to be fed. The old boy actually listened. Chewed up some meat and fed it to her. Even helped nurse her back to health. After taking care of that cub, his spark seemed to come back. He still didn't care if you were in the cage, but come near that cub and he'd take your arm off. He took care of her, fed her, even curled up around her as she slept. When she matured, they mated. It was surprisingly the most gentle I had even seen him."

"Sir?"

"Don't you see the situation my boy? Jarmil was our best. A vicious animal that looked like he could never be tamed. His true potential seemingly locked away. What should have been a hapless victim was the only thing that tapped it. Our soldier reminds me quite a bit of Jarmil."

At that moment Packerson fell silent. He turned back towards the window just as the prisoner was brought in front of the glass. The young black haired soldier towered over his guards. He wore tinted goggles over his eyes. He walked slowly across the loading bay and into the shuttle. The men behind the window watched in silence as the shuttle launched into space.

"Such a shame. Look into his file, Linson. He would have made an excellent addition."


	4. Dark side of the moon

I don't own any of the host club characters, but all other characters are my own creations. This chapter is something of a crossover, not in named characters, but in situations. This chapter is almost identical to the movie Pitch Black. Mori's character is based on Riddick. Thank you for taking time to read my stories. Enjoy.

Mori shifted his arm, trying to get more comfortable. With his arms tied to a pipe above his head, it was kind of difficult. He looked around, trying to relieve some of his boredom. They had locked him up in one of the compartments that survived the crash. Survived might have been too strong a word, as it had a large chunk of one side missing. Still, the half he was in was still wonderfully dark. He could hear voices outside the structure. He also picked up a few more feint sounds coming from within the enclosure.

"I can hear you breathing." He said nonchalantly. A tiny figure came out from one of the shadows. He expected the form to scurry off, instead it came closer. He made out the form of a small child. At first he thought it was a boy, until he saw the large blue green eyes. They seemed to sparkle as he looked into them. The girl looked to be at most 7. She walked until she stood right in front of him. She looked at him intensely, as if trying to figure something out. It made him a little uncomfortable.

"Didn't they tell you I was dangerous?" he asked, trying to distract. Her eyes were so focused, and he never liked to be scrutinized.

"Yes, but I thought you might be thirsty." She replied holding up a green canteen. She was acting as if he was any other passenger on the ship.

"I'd love a drink, but I'm a little tied up at the moment." He chuckled slightly. She crawled up onto the seat and held the canteen to his lips.

"Drink in sips or you'll choke." She advised. He couldn't help but smile. He had his fill of water. When he was sated, she removed the canteen and sat down next to him.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" he asked.

"Should I be?" she answered. Another smile fell on his lips. It was the first time anyone had ever asked him that.

"Well they say I'm a monster, more animal than man. That scares some people." He answered truthfully. He looked over and saw her shrug her small shoulders.

"I like animals better than people. They are nicer. " she said softly. He struggled to come up with something to say. They way she spoke implied experience beyond her years.

"How old are you?"

"6."

"Where's your family?" A child that young couldn't have been traveling alone.

"My grandpa died in the crash." her tone was laced with sadness. They sat there in silence for a few moments. He sat there, thinking of a way to console her. She reached up and began gently rubbing his head. He leaned into her hand, enjoying the sensation. It took him a moment to realize, he was being petted. His lips widened into a grin. He hadn't meant to be taken literally.

"Mel?" a voice called from outside. The kid jumped off the bench and took a few steps away. The owner of the voice entered through the whole in the wall.

"Get away from him!" the man said alarm in his voice.

"I was just going to offer him water." She said innocently holding up the canteen. The man rushed up and grabbed her. He led her away mumbling about how he didn't need water and that she was not to go near him again. Without the adult noticing, the girl glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Mori. He couldn't help but smile back. They left, leaving him once again alone in his thoughts.

"So your names Mel?" he said out loud. A moment later he began testing his chains.

Sorry about taking so long to add these chapters. I'll try to post a few chapters as soon as possible. Thanks for the patience. Review if you feel like it. See you next time.


	5. Dark side II

Mori crept around the camp, giving a wide berth to the other survivors. It was broad daylight, but he knew he wouldn't be seen. He had moved without notice among far more dangerous people. Still, it was only a matter of time before they came to check on him, so he moved as quickly as possible. He still took the time to notice his surroundings. Dessert, with nothing but mounds of sand and rocks. No matter. He had heard them talk about the encampment they found about 6 clicks northeast. A few ships that could still work. He had a bit more trouble navigating, as this planet seemed to have 3 suns. It made him slightly disoriented. Still, he figured it out as best he was able. He was moving toward the abandoned encampment when a noise distracted him. It was a young child screaming for help. He recognized the voice.

Mel sat on the blanket, just observing the world.

"Shaz, what are you doing?" she asked. He was digging into the ground; a tarp above his head protected him from the sun.

"I'm burying the dead child. You shouldn't be seeing this." The man said sternly. He didn't mean to be unkind, but one so young shouldn't be exposed to such misery.

"I want to mark my grandpa's grave." She said holding up the stone for him to see. It was a perfectly rounded stone, a lovely dark grey that she had scratched a word into. Shaz immediately regretted his words. The girl had lost more than any of the others. She was the only one of the survivors to have lost her entire party.

"Sorry child, of course." He answered softly. Mel rested her head on her knees. The only sound was the shovel scraping the sand.

"Why do we bury the dead?" she asked suddenly. Shaz thought about it a moment.

"It's a sign of respect. We bury the bodies to give them some semblance of peace, while still allowing them to feed the soil." He explained hoping to sooth. She remained silent seemingly contemplating his words. The sounds of the shovel resumed. After a few minutes Shaz gasped. Mel picked her head up, curious at the change. She got up to see what he was staring at. As she got closer she saw the hole in the ground. There was nothing but darkness.

"Must have broken into a cave." Shaz said more to himself. A movement startled them, causing them both to jump back. It was more a flicker of a shadow then movement. He moved closer and bent down, trying to look into the hole. Mel tensed. Something about this seemed off. She wanted to run back to the ship. More than anything she wanted to run back to the one they held in chains and called a monster. He had an aura of safety to her, but she couldn't leave. If something happened to Shaz she needed to be there to help. He started scraping more of the brittle sand and rock away. He leaned into the cave. Mel felt as if she was going to throw up. She heard a scrapping noise and involuntarily stepped back. They both shouted as something pulled him deeper into the shadows. She raced to the hole and grabbed his legs. With all her might she tried to pull him away from the unspeakable horror that lay on the other side of the cave mouth. It pulled her closer to the darkness, but she couldn't let go. Just when she seemed to be making progress, something warm hit her face. She blinked in shock. Still holding on, she looked down and noticed the red on her. Whatever was pulling let go of Shaz. She pulled quickly to get him out of harms way, only to discover the stump where his head should have been. Before she could react, whatever had taken Shaz's life had lashed out and grabbed her. With a speed she didn't know existed, it had her legs in the cave. She grabbed the edge, trying to stop herself from being dragged in any further. She screamed for help as loud as her lungs would allow, hoping someone was there to hear her.

Mori moved quickly to the screams, expected nothing of what he saw. The girl that had given him water was screaming louder then he thought possible. She was halfway into a cave holding onto the outer edge for dear life. Next to her lay a decapitated, mutilated body. He ran to her, not knowing what was going on, but knowing what was needed.

Mel cried out in pain as whatever had her dug what had to be claws into her flesh. She could feel a burning sensation in her leg. She was clinging to the rock, knowing if she let go she was dead. But it was too strong. It was pulling her, centimeter by centimeter, into the darkness. She felt something grab underneath her arms and screamed. Whatever it was had gotten behind her and grabbed her. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the end.

"Just hold on, I got you." Her eyes snapped open at the familiar voice. She moved her head to look. She was hallucinating. She had to be. In her last moments of life her brain was trying to comfort her. But his arms dug painfully into her torso, proving how real he was. He grunted with exertion as he pulled her from whatever resided inside the shadows. He won the deadly tug of war and got her out of the pit. She was covered in blood and bleeding from the cuts in her leg, but she was alive. After a moment of shock she realized he was still holding her. He was whispering soothing words while strange noises filled her ears.

"Shh, its ok. I've got you. Your safe." He murmured into her hair as he rocked her gently. He knew he needed to leave, to run before the others got her. But something wouldn't let him go. She brought him water, and he saved her life. There were no debts between them. Still, he could not leave this traumatized child alone. Despite the seriousness Mori had to bite back a chuckle. He was the monster everyone feared. He was the one people ran from. Yet here he was, holding a child, rocking her as she gripped his arms almost painfully. The entire idea was utterly absurd. Mel let herself be rocked, trying to locate the strange noise. It was a few moments before she realized they were the sobs escaping from her own throat.


	6. Dark side III

It all happened so fast. The others had heard the commotion and had come running. He had been too preoccupied comforting the child. They had snatched his goggles exposing him to the light. It didn't matter that he could have easily taken them all out; the light was an enemy he couldn't best.

He was tied up again, sitting in the sand, hands behind his back. They wouldn't give him his goggles back, knowing it left him vulnerable. He kept his eyes closed, but was aware of everything. He felt the trickle on the side of his head. One of the party had smashed his head with a rifle. The group was talking to Mel, trying to put words in her mouth.

"Did he touch you? You won't get in trouble, just be honest." the captain said, his voice reassuring.

"What do you mean, of course he did. His hands were all over her and she was crying. What do you think happened?" A woman angrily yelled. Mori recognized her voice as the one that made him bleed. The captain shot her a look.

"Brash is just worried about you, and wondering what happened to her husband." Everyone's eyes involuntarily flickered to the pit and over the headless corpse that lay there.

"I told you, the monster in the cave did it." Mel repeated for the third time. She was tired of them asking her a question whose answer wasn't going to change. She was still shaking and all she wanted was to run back into Mori's arms. But they wouldn't let her.

"I'll see what she is talking about." The group turned and stared.

"Phil?" Brash asked skeptically.

"She's told us the same story every time. I don't want to take a chance that something dangerous is in there and we just ignore it. I'll tie a line around me so you can pull me out if there is a problem." The captain explained his plan. The group nodded at the sense. Phil clipped the cord onto his belt and climbed into the hole, a flashlight in one hand and a knife on his belt. They waited in silence. As the group they shuffled uncomfortably. Mel, who had been silent, picked her head up. She shifted her head like a meerkat. Mori could hear it too. A very feint voice. Before he could say anything Mel was up and rushing towards the sound. The group looked up startled. She ran to one of the mountains of hardened sand. She slapped her hands on it, trying to break it.

"Here, break this, break it." She yelled panic in her tone. A few ran, and began breaking sand off. A hand broke through and one of the men grabbed it. After a moment Phil was pulled from the hill.

"FUCK!" he yelled. Everyone stared.

"I don't know what the fuck that was, but whatever the fuck it was got Shaz. It nearly fucking got me." Not a moment after the word was uttered the cord on his belt jerked him back. He grabbed the sides of the hole he had emerged from, holding himself away from what lay beneath. A few grabbed him, attempting to drag him back. Mel grabbed the knife from his belt and quickly cut the cord. She barely dodged as Phil collapsed on the ground.

"So that's the plan." Phil said as Luke, the merc, unchained Mori. After the near death experience they had checked out the camp and found out worse news. The creatures that lived in the dark were going to get a chance to come to the surface. Soon. A total eclipse was going to happen soon. A small ship was in working order; just needed a few power cells. Luckily that was easily salvageable. Still, time was running out and every able hand was needed. Out of desperation a deal was made. Mori now had his freedom; all it cost was some hard labor.

Everyone worked fast. Brash fixed up a solar powered sand cat and the work seemed to fly by. Phil had just checked the ship. 4 more power cells and they could take off. Everyone was in high spirits as they went back to get the cells. Until the sun started to dip.

"No. No. We have more time. We are supposed to have more time!" Brash shouted. The suns ignored her and continued to sink at a frighteningly quick rate. Phil tried to keep wipe off any dirt from the solar panel, but it was no use. The vehicle was coming to a stop. In frustration they got out of the car, when an unholy noise was heard. Everyone turned to see a swarm of things peak over the horizon. Hypnotized by the sight it took Mel shouting for them to snap out of their trance. They ran. Brash, Phil, Luke, and Mori raced the creatures to safety. Knowing the race was becoming futile, Mori stopped and dropped down. He allowed the creatures to simply fly over him. The other 3 followed his lead and fell. The swarm passed over them and seemed to fly away. Brash was the first one to get up. She moved quickly. Mel noticed Mori was still on the ground and realized what that meant.

"NO, BRASH STAY DOWN!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. She yelled her message again, praying the woman would listen. She didn't. The swarm came back for another pass. The three still on the ground were passes over. But Brash. They picked her up. They carried her off, eating her as they went. Her screams faded into the distance.

The group huddled in one of the compartments of the ship that was still whole. They were locked in, keeping the monsters at bay. Or so they thought.


	7. Dark side IV

For any that have seen the movie _Pitch Black_, you will see some very big discrepancies. I have changed characters a bit, and the situations. The overall summery of the movie is still more or less the same though. Enjoy.

Mel shuffled around searching through boxes for supplies. Lin, Dras, and Ellos were shuffling through their own boxes. They were the 3 other kids that survived the crash. They looked to be in their very early teens. They were with Rais, the religious man. He was something of a preacher and they were under his tutelage. Sadly they had lost one in the crash. Even though they were older, they had been her playmates. Even now, they were making a game out of this chore. Whoever found the most supplies was going to be "crowned" king of the hunt. Mel smiled as they made jokes, trying to make light of the situation. Still, she knew the adults had put them on this duty so that they would be out of the way. Plans still needed to be made. No need to scare the kids before one was decided on. Her thoughts drifted to what they would possibly do. That's when she heard it. A feint, almost imperceptible sound, like something scratching a sheet of metal.

"Shhhh." She ordered the somewhat rowdy boys. They immediately stopped their horseplay and stared at her. She heard it again, louder this time. It was then she noticed how isolated they were. The adults were way down the corridor, and there were an awful lot of shadows in the area. She put her finger to her lips, and began to move back towards the compartment the adults were in. She beckoned the others to follow. Silently they crept towards safety, away from the noise. As they moved, the noise seemed to stop. Mel began to feel slightly silly for her panic, but the pit in her stomach refused to leave.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Dras yelled as something reached from the darkness and pulled him in. Mel leapt to catch him, smashing her head on the metal crate. Dazed she could do nothing but watch as something out of a nightmare dragged her friend away. The others screamed and she could faintly hear footsteps rushing to them. She heard jostling behind her, with some of the strangest noises. It sounded like angry cats gargling water. Phil shined a light into her eyes. Said something about going into shock. When had he gotten there? She shook her head, forcing the daze to leave. She was pulled away as something fell next to her. One of those things. Before she could scream, she realized it wasn't moving. Dead. They had been fighting. Someone shined the flashlight on the carcass, to get a better look. The flesh started to bubble.

"Light. Lights hurts them." He said almost happily. The group rushed out of the area, and into the more secure container.

"We can use the light to get to the ship." Phil said determinedly.

"What?" Luke said not believing his ears. "That's suicide. This thing will only last a few days tops. We stay here and let this thing blow over."

"We don't know how this will last." Phil answered.

"The model that told us about the eclipse seemed to imply it would last for months." Rais chipped in, holding his two remaining children. They bickered some more, questioning how it could possibly work.

"Who takes the cells? They are easily 35 kilos each. That sand cat won't run at night." Luke pushed his point.

"I'll take them." Mori said his first words in hours. They looked at him. Mel hid her smile.

"I hate to burst your bubble, but how do you expect to move full speed with 140 kilos?" Luke sneered.

"Drag them." With that the discussion was over. The how was figured out, now all that happened was the details. They gathered up all the light they could. They took out 2 generators that had glowing tubes, grabbed blow torches and flashlights, anything that shined. They even took the prized alcohol collection of an art dealer and made impromptu torches. They were ready to go.


	8. Dark side V

They moved quickly. Mel and the two boys were sandwiched between the adults. Everyone had a few glowing tubes wrapped around their bodies. Mori was ahead of them. He had a strap over his shoulder, with some flashlight bulbs shining at the group. He dragged the cells behind him, moving faster than the rest. Mel had seen his grey shining eyes, but only for a brief moment. He could see in the dark, was leading them to safety. She heard noises all around. The same noises she heard in the ship. The expanse of darkness seemed endless beyond their light. It seemed filled with the monsters, eagerly waiting for the lights to be extinguished. Mel tried not to think about any of that. She tried not to think about what lay beyond the reach of her lights, tried not to think about the throb in her leg as she struggled to keep up. She focused on the light that shined from Mori's back. Her beacon of safety.

She mistepped. One moment she was dealing with only a feint amount of pain, the next her foot twisted. Crying out in surprise, the others stopped at the noise. She righted herself. The ankle was fine, but her wound had reopened slightly. A rustle was heard, closer than normal, and shrieks echoed in the shadows. They were more frequent, more excited. One swooped particularly close. Everyone fell to the ground to avoid it. The art dealer panicked. He crawled away from the creature. Unfortunately the tubes were still wrapped around his body, and one of the generators went with him. The two generators had been feeding off each other, exchanging power. Now with one gone, the other went down. The glow in the tubes faded.

"Stay close." Rais advised hurriedly. Everyone grabbed whatever light sources were still there and moved quickly. They saw a feint light not to far away, the art dealer had created a small fireball. His screams were heard a moment later. They stopped a moment later, and huddled around the light sources. They did a head count. Ellos was gone. A bit of panic seemed to work through the group.

"We need to go back." Phil said. The group looked at him.

"What?" Luke asked. Mel was disturbed by his tone. She was right to be concerned. He seemed to have lost his mind, yelling into the night about how he was enjoying the fresh air. He punched Phil when he tried to confront them. Rais stepped between them, stopping the fight. Without anyone noticing, Mori set the cells down and went to Mel. He took a piece of cloth and wrapped it tightly around her leg, not enough to cut off circulation, but enough that it wouldn't fall. He pointed to her leg, and then put a finger to his lips. He was telling her to be quite about her leg. Without a word he moved back to the cells. He walked up to a mound, and lay on his stomach. Luke joined him.

Mori peeked over the ridge, saying it looked clear. Luke poked his head out to see. A creature flew at them, barely missing. Mori looked over to check, and gave the same answer. They walked for what seemed like hours. Mori and Luke in the front, the rest grouped behind. They came across their tracks, and found Mori was leading them in circles. He explained the creatures were attracted to the scent of blood. They filled the canyon that stood between the group and the camp. He was trying to buy himself time to think of a plan. Mel freaked out. It was her. Her wound was what was attracting them. Phil comforted her. The creatures would be attracted to the various cuts they all had by now, and she wasn't the one that lost them the light. The group started walking again.

"I think we need something of a distraction." Luke remarked casually.

"What do you mean?" Mori answered. Luke calmly explained a plan to kill Mel and drag her body a bit behind the group, to keep the creatures off them. Mori hid his disgust. The conversation brought up some unpleasant memories. His first transport had a slight malfunction and crashed. He tried to steal one of the small rescue boats. The co pilot caught him, tried to shoot him down. He slit the guy's throat, as quick and painless as possible. He was caught, and in the years since he only added to the body count. Another pilot, a random soldier, a few fellow prisoners, and a lot of mercs. He was never the aggressor. The fact that Luke was so quick and willing to kill a child to maybe save his own skin was repulsive. An idea flashed in his mind. Luke wanted to feed the creatures. He could do that.

"I think we are gonna need a bigger piece of bait." Mori remarked. Those words started the battle. He tackled Luke, forcing him away from the group. He brandished his shiv. Luke butted him with the rifle and Mori felt his breath leave. He took Luke down and on the ground they fought for control. Luke forced himself on top, and Mori kneed him off. Luke was up and charging, he grabbed Mori's arm. A sickening pop was heard as it dislocated. Mori kicked him away, and then popped his arm back in place. Luke scooped up his gun and tried to fire, but Mori forced the barrel away. The motion turned Luke around, and he felt a sharp pain on his back. Mori's shiv had found its mark, making a deep cut across the lower back. The creatures seemed to be excited by the fresh blood. They swooped closer. Mori moved away, leaving Luke to his fate. He found his way back to the group. They had run from the gunshots. They looked into the distance, trying to see what had become of Luke. Only Mori saw the creature bite his head off. He didn't have to explain what happened. The wind had worked well, and carried the words to them.

Without another word, Mori grabbed the cells and began to lead the group again. The others followed. With the creatures busy fighting each other for a meal; they decided to make a break for the canyon. They moved fast, a dying creature grabbed Lin's ankle. Rais pulled him out of its grip and they kept going. Mori outpaced all of them. Even with her hurt leg, Mel was the only one almost able to keep up with him. Her small feet allowed her to find foot holds easier. At the top of a tiny hill, the others were struggling to keep up. Mori was getting farther away.

"Mori, wait." She begged. He was leaving them behind. She heard a noise and looked up; one of the creatures was falling at her. She ducked under a skeleton of one of the dead creatures. The thing landed on it, crushing the ribs. A small but wide piece of bone was all that stopped her from being the creature's dinner. The others got as close as they could. Phil shined a bright flashlight on it, trying to get it away. The promise of a meal was apparently worth the pain, as the creature didn't stop.

"Mori!" she screamed. She knew he had every right to leave her. He saved her life once already, he owed her nothing. Still, if anyone had a chance of getting her out of this, it was him. Mori heard the cry. The creatures were too busy to pay attention to him, and the camp was just a few minutes away. The others wouldn't have cared if he had died, but her. With a sigh, he dropped the cells and turned back. If it had been anyone else he didn't know if he would bother, but not her. He pulled his shiv out, ready to take on a nightmare.


	9. Dark side end

He tackled the creature, much like he had Luke. It lunged back, and he dodged. He held its arms, as it tried to bite his head off. It was slower and weaker than he thought. He felt the shiv still in his hand, and calculated how he needed to move. He let the creature have its arms back. As it attempted a full attack, he ducked and brought the shiv to its body. The skin sliced open easily. Another few strikes and its guts poured out and onto his shoes.

"Did not know who it was fucking with." He said coldly. They tried to move more, but it started to rain. The flashlight had a dead battery and the rain was eating up the torches. Rais was retying the cloth on Lin's ankle, when a creature grabbed him. Pulled him up the side of the steep cliff. Rais jumped up trying to catch him. Didn't work. They found a cave. Mori voiced the other three into the cave. He could get the cells on his own easier without having to worry about them. He would come back.

He was just running the diagnostic when Phil stepped into the headlights of the ship. He begged him to go back. Mori stared at the man. He kept himself calm. He had never had any intention of leaving her on this planet with those fucking things. But he didn't know if he could trust Phil. Rais wouldn't turn him in, he didn't believe in the prison system. He tested him. Acted like he was going to leave, and that Phil could hitch a ride.

Phil attacked him. Wasn't hard to get the guy pinned down with his shiv at the throat. He found out Phil had changed. He had tried to jettison the passenger cabin during the crash, now he was willing to leave safety to go back for them. Mori was convinced he would honor the deal. They moved quickly back to the hiding spot. He couldn't help but return the smile Mel beamed at him. Her leg seemed to have gotten a little worse. He noticed her limp. Without a word, he scooped her up and walked. He peeked around the bend in the canyon. It was filled with the creatures. He motioned, and they sprinted into the canyon. The creatures were startled by there appearance and flew away from them. Mel buried her face in his chest, not wanting to see. They moved as fast as they could, making it to the camp with little problems. They wandered through the maze like structures to get to the ship yard. Mori stopped them when he heard a sound.

Peeking over, he saw one of the creatures rummaging through the garbage can. He passed Mel to Phil. He would distract the creature. He rushed out as the others went their separate ways.

Mel was buckled into the seat. She felt better, surrounded by light. Phil went through the switches and Rais buckled in next to her.

"Where's Mori?" she asked panicked. It had taken him too long.

"Who?" Phil asked. "You mean Morinozuka?" She nodded. She had panic in her eyes. Phil realized she was right. He had been gone to long.

"I'll go get him. Ok?" he asked. She smiled at him. That was a little weird to him. She was a good kid, but why was she so concerned with the convict? He saved her life, so maybe she felt indebted. Still, he did owe it to the guy. So out he went.

Mori returned around 5 minutes later. Without the captain. They looked at him and he shook his head. He limped over to the pilot's seat, the gash in his leg visible. Mel felt tears in her eyes. He rebuckled Mel into the front seat, and they took off. He told them, just tell whoever they meet that he was dead. He died somewhere on that planet. When they were in orbit, Mori turned on the autopilot. Mel took off her seatbelt and grabbed the medical kit. Mori cleaned out his own wound, then bandaged it. He did the same to Mel's leg. They heard Rais gently snoring in the back. He was out.

Mori was surprised when she crawled into his lap. She nuzzled against his chest and fell asleep. When they landed on the next planet, Rais offered to take Mel with him. He was going to meet his fiancée and they would be happy to adopt her. Both men knew from the beginning who she was going with.


	10. A new life starts

He was aware they were being watched. But there was no threat. All eyes simply belonged to curious passersby. A giant of a man holding hands with a happy little child as she skipped down the street. It drew attention, but not any to worry about.

"Where are we going sempai?" she asked curiously.

"An old friend's house." He replied. More like his only friend's house. It wasn't an accident that he had taken them to this planet. Aside from the tiny child next to him, the only person he fully trusted in the universe was here. They walked into a nice neighborhood. Mature trees lined the street. The houses were not large, but not small either. They walked up to a light blue house. Mori rung the bell as Mel jumped from foot to foot. He didn't know how she had so much energy all the time. They had only been together, off that hell hole, for a few days. She had been bouncing almost the whole time. Except at night.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and rung the bell again. A voice was heard inside.

"Alright, Alright, I'm going." Someone yelled through the door. It was opened by a blonde boy only a little taller than Mel. He looked at the pair, and his scowl changed from a look of disbelief to a smile. He wrapped his arms around the larger man's waist.

"I thought you were dead." He cried. Mori hugged him back.

"Technically I am." He said chuckling. The man pulled away and looked at him.

"Takashi Morinozuka died in a crash on an uncharted planet. I am Mori Takashino." Mori continued. The guy looked at him a few moments before he ushered them inside.

"It's been so long Takashi. I can't believe you are still alive. I never believed the files." The blonde said as he served them tea.

"Yeah. I have done many things I regret. But the real story there I had to take them out. It's good to see you again Hunny." He remarked genuinely. Hunny returned the smile.

"By the way, why do you have a small person with you? Is she your daughter?" Hunny asked. Mori almost choked on his tea. He was so used to her; he forgot she wasn't always there.

"Not exactly. She kind of adopted me." He answered. Hunny nodded before turning to the girl.

"Would you like some cake?" he asked happily. Mel turned and buried her face in Mori's side.

"Sorry. I guess she must be shy around strangers." Mori said putting his arm around her. He rubbed her side soothingly.

"What do you mean you guess?"

"Well I've known her less than a week." He answered truthfully. Hunny's mouth fell open and his eyes went wide. After a moment he forced himself out of it.

"Could you ask her to go play with my stuffed animal collection." He said more than asked. Mori gently pulled Mel off his side. She looked up at him.

"Little one, can you please go play. There are some nice stuffed animals over there. We have some stuff to talk about." He spoke soothingly. She nodded and jumped off the couch. Walking slowly, she turned to look at him halfway to the collection. He smiled reassuringly and she went to go play. When he turned back, Hunny was looking at him intently.

"Did you steal her?" he asked as soon as she was out of earshot. Mori burst out laughing. Mel looked back at them; he just motioned for her to continue.

"No. The last time I was being taken in, I was on a civilian craft again. It crashed on some forsaken little desert planet. Some fucked up shit lived there. Her guardian died in the crash, and I just sort of took her under my wing." He explained.

"Do you think you're the best person for this?" Hunny asked seriously. She was so little, so vulnerable.

"She had the option to go with another survivor and his fiancée. She wanted me. She needs me Hunny. More than you could ever understand." Mori spoke solemnly. He couldn't abandon her. Hunny didn't try to answer that. It seemed they had been to hell together, and he wouldn't understand that. He understood enduring hell with fellow soldiers, not some poor kid. He decided to change the subject.

"So what does she eat?" he asked trying to lighten up the mood.

"I don't know. She seems to eat what I put in front of her." He remarked. The blonde's face fell again.

"Takashi, she's not a dog. Damn. If you want to keep her, you have to learn to take care of her."

"Help me?" Mori asked. It was Hunny's turn to choke on his tea. He wasn't sure he had heard right.

"Excuse me?" he tried to clarify.

"You're right. I don't know what I am doing. I need help. You have experience with kids."

"Yeah, barely. Just get her a nanny or something."

"With who I am, the less people I interact with on a daily basis, the better." Mori responded. Hunny saw the logic in his argument. He sighed, knowing he was beaten.

"So what's your plan?" He waited patiently as Mori pulled out a piece of paper. It was a real estate ad for Irison. He looked up, waiting for more. As he detailed his plan, Mori seemed to get more excited.

"I had found it along time ago. It's a perfectly Terre formed planet. It's really cheap, even now. You can get 20 acres for around $50,000. It's out of the way, the law rarely goes there. Hell its so backwards, that the local law enforcement never interacts with the federal one. You can subsistence farm, and there are plenty of temp jobs on the bordering planets." Hunny just nodded. The plan was pretty good, there was just one problem.

"How do you plan to get that money?" he asked. Mori looked away for a moment.

"I have a bunch of temp jobs lined up. Body guarding some powerful people at some events, copiloting some off the books star tours. Within a year or two I will have enough to set up the life Mel deserves." He spoke softly. The blond looked at him intently. He was sincere.

"Ok. You can stay then." Hunny said suddenly. Mori looked up at him. "The kid needs a stable home. If you are gonna be bouncing around everywhere, it would be best if she isn't dragged. I can even help you raise that money faster. On one condition."

"Name it."

"Take me too. I'm tired of this place, and I don't want to chance bonding with the girl only to walk away. " he replied nonchalantly. Mori smiled at his friend, and Hunny couldn't help but beam in response.


	11. To a new home

They moved the meager luggage they had into a room. They had left the planet with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Rais had given them a little money, and they got a few things. It still barely filled a single bag. The guestroom was a soft blue. The bed had a pristine white comforter and the large window allowed ample light. The room could easily be described as cheery. Mori was happy she would get a decent space to call home.

"I can turn my office into a bedroom for her. It's small, but I don't think she needs much space while we are here." Hunny joked, ruffling Mel's hair. She giggled.

"It's fine. We can share." Mori answered. Hunny looked at him confused. He knew his friend wasn't a creep. But sharing a bed with a little girl was rather strange. The first night, he learned the reason. Around an hour after they had retired to bed, screaming filled the house. Hunny ran into the guest room. Mel was shaking violently. She clung to Mori as he rocked her. Their eyes met and Hunny nodded his understanding.

She hopped from foot to foot. A habit she had when she was excited. Hunny looked at the girl. A sense of shame welled up when he saw the dark circles under her eyes. She hadn't slept well since he left. Mori had taken off around 2 months ago. He had some really high paying gigs in the works, but he had to go to several border planets. He had initially wanted to turn them down.

_ "Takashi you can't." the blonde exclaimed. "Do you realize how much money you would be passing up?"_

_ "I understand. But, I've never spent more than a night away from her. I'm worried she can't handle it."_

_ "I'll be ok senpai." A small voice interjected. Both men turned towards her. "You would make more in 2 month there than in a year around here."_

_ "Are you sure?" Mori asked, kneeling in front of the child. She gave a small smile and nodded._

Hunny blamed himself for her trouble. He should have realized how hard it would be on her. Many a night he was woken up by her screams. Without him there, she refused to fall asleep. Eventually exhaustion would claim her and she would pass out. She would wake up screaming soon after. He always went to check up on her. She always had such a haunted look in her eye as she curled up in a ball. He had tried to comfort her, but she didn't seem to even notice he was there.

** "Shuttle 356 will be arriving at gate 242 in 3 minutes." **The automated voice announced. Mel seemed to bounce a little more. When the tall figure walked through the gates, she bolted. Hunny never knew anyone could move so fast. She leapt at the figure, and was caught easily. Mori walked over, Mel still in his arms. Neither seemed willing to let the other one go.

"So how much did you make?" hunny asked softly. They walked along the streets on their way home. Mori held a dozing Mel in his arms.

"I made about $70,000. Some really good tippers there." He answered.

"Wow. Definitely enough to go now. I talked to an official the other day. We got a meeting to discuss the purchase." Hunny said. Mori nodded. The small blonde continued to talk about the plans they had made, and how far along they were. The other simply responded with nods and one word answers. He seemed deep in thought. They walked in silence for a few minutes.

"Has she slept since I've been away?" he asked worriedly. Hunny stopped. He stared at his feet.

"Not really." The blond mumbled. Mori's arms tightened around the tiny figure. He never wanted to put her through that again.

"Not so fast. You need a proper grip or all the speed in the world won't help." Mori admonished. The small figure nodded eagerly. "Ok. Once more then we will go back to bed. "

She moved quickly, her hand landing at the proper point. Pulling his arm, she forced it behind his back. A smile beamed from her face when he praised her improvement. He picked her up and carried her to her room. She yawned as he tucked her into bed. Without her asking, he crawled in. His arms closed around her as she nestled against him. This had been their routine. The trio had arrived on Irison a little over a year ago. They had moved into a dilapidated 10 bedroom house. It had originally been a boarding home. When the owners died, it fell into a decrepit state. They had rebuilt it to its former glory.

Worrying about her dependency, Mori put Mel in her own room. He had hoped she could grow accustomed to her own space. Sadly, night after night she woke up screaming. Without him realizing, they settled into a pattern. Night after night, Mel would head off to bed. Mori would go out on jobs, and occasionally out for a little adult fun. He would shower, then go wait in her room. Always mindful of time, he was always there when the trouble started. When she woke up, his silver eyes glowing in the dark always seemed to calm her. He would take her to one of the bedrooms that they converted to a gym. He trained her until he saw she was spent. Most nights he would take her back to his room. The nights that he had company, he slept in her room. The women were always long gone, but the scent of their activities remained. She always had a pained look when she detected it. It was in this manner that they lived. In the twilight hours he trained her to protect her from new threats. In the hours after, he stayed guarding her against those that resided in her mind.


	12. A new trouble

"You know you're pretty hot yourself." The young woman said, twirling some long blond strands absentmindedly. Mori came to this bar every couple of weeks or so. Most of the time it was just to get a drink and relax. But on nights like tonight, he had something else in mind. He had been flirting with the woman in front of him for the past half hour.

"So, would you like to take a walk in the park with me?" he asked, his tone low and seductive. He could smell her arousal. He threw a few bills on the bar and led her to the park across the street. They strolled down a worn dirt path until they came across a gazebo. It was his favorite go to spot since he stopped bringing them home. The thick trees helped obscure them from the street, the shadows did the rest. Nina, the blonde, lay down on the backless stone bench. She opened her legs and he caught a glimpse of a hot pink thong.

"This stone is cold. How about getting down here and keeping me warm?" she asked raising an eyebrow. Mori was happy to comply. He was on her like an animal, biting and nipping her neck as he grinded against her. After a minute of this, he lifted himself off her. He unzipped his pants and let himself slip out of the slit in his boxers. He pulled the condom out of his pocket. He rolled it on and pulled her thong aside. She gasped as he slid inside her. He hooked his elbows under knees to allow for a better angle. She moaned loudly as he thrust hard. Moans were elicited from her body as he continued pounding into her.

Mori found himself annoyed. Usually he liked for a girl to make noise, but this just seemed wrong. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He increased his pace, trying to finish. She practically screamed as she clenched around his cock.

15 minutes later sweat dripped off his body. She had finished at least 3 times already, but he just couldn't. She felt good. Really good. But he just couldn't cross that finish line. Tired and frustrated, he let out a few grunts and pretended to come. He pulled out and slipped the condom off. He fixed his clothes and dropped it in a nearby trashcan.

"Thanks for the fun, Nina." He said.

"No problem." She answered fixing her own clothes. "Maybe we can do this again the next time you are in town." She walked off, leaving him alone in the gazebo. He sat down on the bench and sighed. What the hell was wrong with him? This was the 3rd time in 4 months.

* * *

Mori let the water run down his body and sighed. He had a few more minutes to relax before going to attend to Mel. His thoughts dwelled on earlier that evening. He still didn't understand it. The girls he picked really turned him on. So why couldn't he ever get his damn rocks off? His fist slammed into the tile in frustration. Exhausted, he shut the water off and grabbed a towel. He dried himself off and went to his room to get dressed.

"Mori?" a small voice called out in the dark. He jumped at the sudden intrusion into his thoughts. Scanning the shadow filled room; he noticed the small figure curled up in his bed. He grabbed a pair of shorts that was on the dresser. She couldn't see him, but he didn't feel right being around her in only a towel. He quickly put them on, then crawled into bed. As soon as he hit the mattress she moved to cuddle against him.

"What are you doing in here little one?" he asked softly as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I didn't want a nightmare tonight. So I came here to wait for you to get back." She answered.

"But you have your own room. A nice one too. Your 12 now. A little too old to still be sleeping in my bed." He chided.

"I don't want my own room. I want to stay with you." She replied sleepily. She let out a big yawn and nuzzled tighter against him. Mori couldn't help but smile. He knew it wasn't good for her, but he could never deny her anything. Especially when all she wanted was some undisturbed sleep. He rubbed his hand over her arm soothingly. Her breathing evened and she seemed to doze peacefully. His finger hit a rough patch on her skin, and his heart fell. Even without seeing it, he knew it was her scar. One that was entirely his fault.

* * *

Hunny raced through the house calling Mori's name. He needed to find him. He burst through doors, cursing the decision to put a damn deadbolt on the bathroom. He ran into him in the gym. Figures. The damn room was practically soundproof; no wonder he hadn't heard the screams. Hunny burst through the door. Mori looked at him confused. The look changed to one of fear as the screams finally reached his ears. Hunny grabbed his arm and yanked him toward the pained yelps.

"What the hell is going on?" Mori asked rushing towards the voice that he recognized as Mel's.

"I don't fucking know. She locked herself in the bathroom and a few minutes later started screaming. Your fucking genius idea of putting a deadbolt on the bathroom means I can't break the damn door down." Hunny yelled. Mori was not irked by his friend's tone. He knew his panic was entirely from being unable to help the girl he had become so attached to. Mori steadied himself then made quick work of the door. He burst in and paused to take in the scene before him. Mel was in the tub naked. Patches of skin were lobster red and tears ran down her face. Without a word he went and turned on a cold shower. He grabbed the removable shower head and brought it down to her. The cool water soothed some of the sting. Paying no attention to the water that sprayed back at him, his only thoughts were to ease her pain. He ran the water down her arms and legs.

"Where else does it hurt?" he asked as gentle as possible. A blush spread across her face.

"Between my legs." She whispered embarrassed. His eyes went wide as he realized what she meant. After a moment's hesitation, he parted her knees slightly. He turned his head away and simply let the water flow down to the spot that ached. A slight blush spread across his cheeks. After she had been properly cleaned he grabbed a clean towel and helped her dry off. He tried to hide it, but the blush remained. She was starting to develop, with small curves around her bust and waist. He grabbed one of his shirts from the dresser. A long sleeved black button up. She drowned in it. He laid her down on the bed, and sat down next to her. Her let out a long sigh. It was cut short when she threw her arms around his stomach.

"Please don't be mad." She whimpered, looking up at him with tear filled eyes.

"I'm not mad little one. Just worried. What did you do to yourself?"

"I talked to Tressa today." She admitted. Mori felt his body tighten. A look of fright passed in her eyes and he forced himself to relax. Tressa was one of the brothel workers in the closest town. She was a nice enough girl, but under the assumption that Mel was his slave she always tried to help train her in ways to "please" him.

"What did she tell you this time?" he sighed. She looked hesitant. He just watched, waiting for her to proceed. Her gaze fell to the floor. A blush spread across her face.

"Well. I noticed I was growing hair in places, and I asked her about it? "

She mumbled.

"And that has to do with what I saw how?" he asked softly. She hunched over, looking like she wanted to disappear.

"Well she told me it was a good thing. It was a sign I was becoming a woman. So I went down to the market and bought some kunush sap to get rid of it. Tressa uses it all the time."

"Did you put the sap directly on your skin?" his tone was completely serious now. The tiny figure nodded slowly. A small smile fell across his face and he couldn't hold back the chuckle.

"Little one, your supposed to put it in water and soak in the water." He laughed unable to contain himself.

"Oh." Came the tiny reply as she buried herself in his side.

"Why the hell would you do something like that?" He asked softly. He grabbed her chin and tilted her face. As soon as their eyes met, she dropped her gaze. She seemed to have a bit of sorrow on her face. She seemed to struggle finding the words to explain.

"I don't want to be a woman." She whispered. A smile spread on his lips and he chuckled. Her eyes darted to his face and he lifted a brow in question. Her gaze fell once more as she answered. "I see you with women sometimes. You bring them home and they go into bed with you. A little later they leave. I don't want to leave."

There were tears in her eyes and his heart hurt. It took his brain a moment to process her words, but he instantly heard the pain in her trembling voice. She knew he fucked girls and then kicked them out. She thought if she became a woman he would do that to her to. A sigh escaped his lips.

"Little one, look at me." He commanded. Her eyes slowly lifted to meet his. "I bring those women home for some adult things. We enjoy each others company briefly, then go on about our day. That's not you. I promise I will never have that intention for you. You are far too precious to me for something like that." He kissed her forehead affectionately. A small smile fell on her lips.

* * *

Mori sighed as he held the girl. She was wearing the shirt he had given her that day. Given wasn't really the right word. More like she adopted it. He smiled at the thought. It was short lived when he felt the scar again. He had tried to make it work. Bring them home. Have his fun. They would leave and he would shower before going to Mel. Since the day she admitted to burning her hair in an attempt to stay a child, no more women were brought to the house. When he felt the need, he went out. It worked rather nicely, for a time. It was really frustrating the hell out of him that he couldn't cum. Those thoughts dropped out of his mind when the tiny figure pressed into him.

* * *

For anyone still reading this, thank you for your patience. It is a pleasure to write for you. See you next time.


	13. Midnight snack

The small figure huddled against him. Well, she wasn't so small anymore. Mori sighed as he felt her body heat radiate underneath his arm. He nuzzled her neck, enjoying her scent. It was like the earth smell that happened just before a rain storm. He inhaled deeply.

"Do I smell bad sempai?" The voice asked in the dark. Startled, he felt his body tense up.

"Well we did wear ourselves out in the gym before bed. Guess the sweat smell is still bothering me." The lie slid out smoothly.

"Sorry. I'll go take a shower." She answered slipping out from underneath his arm. There was no hurt or annoyance in her voice. Just the smallest hint of wanting to please. She had no idea how much trouble that caused for him. The young girl walked to the bathroom, stumbling a bit in the darkness. He heard the water running and turned onto his back. Another sigh escaped his lips. Things were getting so strange around here lately. They had recently acquired a new roommate. A young soldier by the name of Tamaki. He was under the command of Hunny during the last skirmish and had saved Hunny's life. His grandmother had recently sold him to a brothel to take care of the family's debts. He was a sweet pretty boy, and turned out to be a favorite of the rougher customers. Hunny and Mel had been on a trip to a museum when they came across him beat to hell. Hunny repaid the favor by buying his freedom. Not having another place to go, he followed them home. Mel, being the sweetheart she was, patched him up. Thinking of the young man, Mori let out a low growl. He was a nice guy, but was always just a little too friendly with the girl.

Mori chuckled at his train of thought. He damn well knew the anger wasn't the boy's fault. He was jealous. Plain and simple. Tamaki was 20 years old, six years older than Mel. He was so sweet and cultured. They had many common interests and often talked about things for hours. Mori tried to relax. As of late, his paternal feelings had begun shifting into something he really didn't want to admit.

"Can I have light?" The question broke his train of thought. He nodded a moment before sheepishly remembering that she couldn't see him.

"It's fine." They had special low watt bulbs in his room. Enough for her to see, but not enough to hurt him. The light flicked on and it took his eyes a moment to adjust.

"I wore my work out clothes to bed cause I can't find my sleeping shirt. Have you seen it?" She asked. He lifted his head to look at her.

"Gah…Put some clothes on already!" He shouted as his brain processed the image. She was completely bare, using a towel to dry her hair. She looked at him confused.

"That's why I'm asking about the shirt." She said confusion still evident on her face. He slapped his palm over his eyes.

"You are much too old to be walking around in front of me naked." He said with a sigh.

"Since when?" She grumbled.

"Since you grew boobs." He answered. He heard her huff.

"I do not have boobs." She hissed. He couldn't help the smile that spread on his lips. She was one of the only girls he had ever met that hated the idea of growing up.

"You've had them since you were 13." He laughed. He heard her noises of disapproval and he couldn't help chuckling. She had developed quickly. Almost overnight it seemed her body turned into quite the voluptuous figure. Yet she denied her curves. Even with his reassurances she didn't want to grow up. "Fine. I'm covered."

"Good." He said removing his hand. In an instant he regretted uncovering his eyes. She had wrapped the towel around herself. The cloth clung to her. It barely hid anything. Forcing his breath to even, he tried to keep his member from hardening. "The shirt should be in the dresser, bottom drawer."

She smiled in thanks, then turned to find it. Bending over, hints of supple flesh were exposed. He bit his hand, trying to keep only pain in his mind. He closed his eyes.

"This is normal." He thought. "You haven't been laid in close to two years. She's an attractive female and your body is just reacting to the dry spell." Hell, he hadn't even masturbated in months. The last time had been such a disaster.

* * *

_Mori sighed as he leaned against the shower tile. He tried a few more girls, all were unsuccessful. The blond chick Nina had been the closest at making him cum, so he decided to give her another shot. He found her at the bar, fucking some random guy in the dark alley behind the building. Disgust welled up. Sure, every time he picked someone up they understood it was a one night stand. Nothing more. But he never did like sharing. Realizing the other girls probably had other partners too, he decided to drop his one night stand habit. It was just sex, and if he couldn't get off anyway, what was the point? Since then, he stuck to doing the job himself._

_A soft groan escaped his lips as his hand slid down the hard flesh. Images flashed through his mind. Nina spread eagle on the bench. A redhead named Misty unbuttoning her shirt to give him a peek. Mel under him. The thought made him pause. Weeks ago, they had been in the gym practicing close quarters combat. He had tackled her to the mat. Wide turquoise eyes stared up at him as his body pinned her to the floor. Mori imagined himself grinding into her. Her eyes going wider in surprise as her body subconsciously responded to his touches. Her legs spread for him. Sliding his hand down her body, he slipped it under the bands of her shorts and panties. Heat radiated as he played with her innocent flesh. Mori stroked himself faster, thrusting as he imagined her moaning his name. He felt his body tense and shuddered at the release. Panting hard, he basked in the slowly fading pleasure. When it receded, shame took its place. He had just cum to the thought of molesting his student. The child he had cared for all these years. Sure in reality he had just rolled over then helped her up, but his mind was demanding so much more. _

_Over the next few months, further attempts at self-satisfaction met with similar dismal results. Every time he began playing, he would see her. Glistening skin as she stepped out of the shower. Innocent smile as she slipped next to him in bed. He could not seem to keep her image out of his head. Her body was maturing, and it proved torturous. _

* * *

"Can we have cookies?" The question broke his train of thought. She had slipped into the shirt and wandered over. She jumped on the bed and began bouncing. "Can we? Can we? Can we?"

"Umm." He hesitated. She dropped to her hands and knees. She leaned over until their faces were inches apart.

"Please. You don't have work for another week. We can have milk and cookies and watch a movie. We haven't done it in a while. Please." She begged. A pout spread on her lips. Puppy dog eyes played havoc on his resistance.

"Fine." He caved. A giant smile spread across her face. "You are such a little manipulator. I pity your future husband." The moment the words passed his lips he suppressed a snarl. The mere idea of her being with someone made him so angry.

"Why would I get married? I already have you trained so well." She teased. He rolled his eyes at her smirk. She crawled away and allowed him to get up. He rustled around in the kitchen looking for the promised snacks. Footsteps echoed down the hall. Tensing up, he turned to the sound. He relaxed when the familiar figure stepped into the kitchen. Mel.

"What are you doing down here?"

"I decided I wanted chocolate milk. I want ice cream too." She explained.

"My, aren't you demanding tonight." He laughed. She returned the laugh and shrugged her shoulders. Walking past him, she lifted herself onto the counter. Legs dangled over the side absentmindedly kicking the cabinet. He tried to focus on gathering the expanded list. Her hands lay flat on the counter as she leaned slightly forward. She had grown some, and the shirt no longer drowned her. The fabric rode up and her upper thighs were on prominent display. The top few buttons of the shirt were also opened, an old habit she had to stay cool during the warmer months. It was unintentionally seductive.

"What does it take to be a good whore?" The question caught him off guard. Mori coughed, choking on his own saliva.

"What?" He was sure he couldn't have heard right.

"Tressa told me I have what it takes to be the best girl in town. Whatever that means." She explained. He couldn't help but laugh at her innocence.

"I don't think it's that easy." He chuckled. She cocked her head.

"Really. Tressa says I already have the body. Just have to learn how to work it. How's this?" She straightened up and struck a pose. Her right hand was on the back of her head, elbow extended out. With her chest pushed out, she winked. Mori rolled his eyes, trying to ignore how sexy she looked. She was still just a kid, even if her body said otherwise.

"Could you hand me some cups?" He tried to change the subject. She let her arm drop and looked up.

"They are too high. You get them." She answered. He moved to the counter and reached up. She leaned back to give him some room. As it was her favorite spot in the kitchen to sit, they had learned long ago how to avoid getting in each other's way. He felt her warm breath on his bare chest. They had done this hundreds of time. But something about tonight was off. Maybe it was the little show she had treated him to earlier. Maybe it was the fact he hadn't gotten off in months. Whatever it was it was making his body react to every little thing. He could feel her warmth and smell her delicious scent. He grabbed the ones he was searching for, wanting to get away before he did something he regretted. Absentmindedly he looked down, and their eyes met. He looked away, not wanting to get sucked into her gaze. He tensed when he felt her fingers graze across skin. Over the years she had discovered the scars that adorned his body. She had developed the pesky little habit of touching them. She liked to feel if they were raised or sunken, if she could feel the same pattern that her eyes saw. He never saw much harm in it. But that was before.

"Don't." He hissed. Her hand seemed to hesitate at his word and he was extremely grateful. Not tonight. Raw emotions had been swirling in his mind all evening. Only the most tenuous of grasps kept his baser instincts in check. He foolishly allowed their eyes to meet, and all he saw was hurt. For the past few days he had been disrupting their routine. Habits he had ignored for years were suddenly getting her into trouble. She couldn't change in front of him anymore. She couldn't randomly touch him as she once did. He even occasionally tried to carry her back to her own bed once she fell asleep. He never explained the sudden change in their relationship and it irritated her to no end. She had had enough. They could deal with whatever the hell he was afraid of together. She ignored his warning and let her fingers retrace the scar's outline. In an instant his restraint vanished. His iron clad resolve seemed to dissolve in a heartbeat. His grip loosened and the cups fell from his grasp. She jumped at the sound of them smashing against the floor. He didn't even seem to notice.

Mori towered over her, and Mel felt her heart skip a beat. His movements were almost menacing. She drove the thought from her mind. This was sempai. He chided her when she refused to wear a top to swim, shooed her away when either of them needed to change. There was no way he would ever have** those** thoughts about her. Her mouth felt dry and she licked her lips absentmindedly. The action seemed to catch his attention. His gaze dropped to her mouth and a sly grin grew on his face. He continued to move closer. It felt so weird she couldn't help but lean back, trying to preserve the space between them. He just kept closing the distance like an animal stalking its prey. They were so close; she could feel his breath waft across her skin. After a moment he closed the remaining space. Her heart beat sped up rapidly as their lips met. The kiss was gentle and sweet. At first. After a few moments he seemed to run out of patience. At once the pretense of gentleness vanished. His lips crushed hers; opening up his teeth nipped her lower lip. His hands moved from the counter to her body. One hand cupped her face, not giving her any escape. She whimpered as he bit her lip hard, drawing blood. His tongue slid across her lip, lapping up the delicious forbidden liquid. The trickle of blood stopped and he crushed their lips together once more. His tongue tapped her bruised and swollen lips, demanding entrance. After a moment's hesitation, she granted it. He probed her mouth, exploring, forcing her tongue into a fight for dominance. One he easily won. Without her notice, the other hand was placed on her exposed thigh. He rubbed the soft flesh gently, creeping closer to the hidden treasure that was between her legs. His nostrils flared as the scent of her arousal filled the room. He could feel the bulge in his now painfully tight boxers. Pulling away, her whimpers of disappointment filled his ears. He evaluated the scene before him. Her breathing was ragged, exposed flesh teasing as it rose and fell. Eyes were glazed over in uncomprehended lust.

"Do you want this?" He asked, breathing every bit as ragged as hers.

"Want what?" The innocence in her answer gave him pause. But his primal side forced its way in. A beautiful and receptive female was practically going into heat. Her body was ready, her mind and personality were quite mature. Never mind the fact she knew little of sex. The last thought stopped him. Just enough to force the feral side back into its cage. The girl was mature beyond her years, in body and spirit. But the fact remained she was still just a child. With a harsh sigh, he pulled away. She looked at him confused, not understanding what had happened.

"Sorry." He said almost inaudibly. He took a deep breath, forced a smile onto his face, and a false happy tone into his voice. "So how about that ice cream?"

Confusion clouded her eyes, slowly replacing the fading lust. She had no idea what was going on, but it was obvious sempai wasn't happy about it. Following his cue, she dropped what had just happened. Asked for peanut butter and chocolate ice cream. Mori nodded. He grabbed the broom and swept up the bits of shattered glass, then helped her off the counter. The pair gathered their junk food and proceeded upstairs.


End file.
